Spike



July 26,1932. R. E BEGLE 1,868,964

SPIKE Filedv Jan. 20,1950

INVENTOR Patented July 26, 1932 En STATES RAYMOND E. IBEEGLE, OF EAST ST. LOUIS, ILLINOIS SPIKE Application led January 20, 1930. Serial No. 421,959.

This invention relates to improvements in spikes, and more particularly, to railroad spikes adapted for use in prebored holes in the cross ties or like timber with which the spikes are employed.v

A rapidly growing preference is experienced by railroad engineers for employing, particularly in treated ties, prebored spike openings or holes; a great advantage being derived from this practice in that the timber fibers are less disrupted on placement or driving of the spikes and with the further advantage that, upon preboring before treating, the timber becomes impregnated to a greater depth with the treating material, particularly adjacent the spike locations. With the older practice of driving the spikes without preboring, the fibers are torn and often severed entirely from the adjacent body of timber, and the extreme compression of fibers near the head of the spike, results in a tendency to form water pockets, where rotting of the wood results in materially decreasing the effective life of the timber. The practice of preboring is, of itself, of no novelty, but

when practiced with the use of the ordinary rail spike of square section, having a chisel point, several difhculties are encountered in driving the spikes. Among such diculties may be noted, an almost universal tendency for the spike to spiral or be rotated about its longitudinal axis as it is driven in a prebored hole approximating the size of the spike, as is the preferred practice. A further difliculty consists in the tendency of spikes of ordinary variety, to lead off from the plane of the prebored hole or to become canted toward one side or the other of such plane. A still further difficulty is the tendency of a square spike, when driven in a round hole, to disrupt the bers adjacent the corners of the spike to a serious extent, sometimes severing them completely.

Generally stated, the purpose of this invention is therefore to overcome the major dithculties noted above, and one object may be stated as that of providing a spike which includes means for guiding the unit and keeping it in a vertical plane as it is driven.

A further object is found in improved provisions for controlling the libers lying adj acent the body of the spike when it is driven into a prebored hole.

A still further object is to improve the construction of track spikes so that spiraling is prevented as the spike is driven, whereby the spike may be driven to the fullest possible extent with a maximum area of engagement between the head of the spike and the base of the rail. This feature is of particular importance, in that it overcomes the tendency for prevailing spikes to be slottedl at the throat under the influence of lateral as well as endwise rail movement. By maintaining the yface of the spike, rather than one of its corners, in Contact with the rail base, this cutting or sawing action is minimized.

A still further object may be stated as that of attaining a spike of such characteristics as materially to increase the holding power of the spike and the eective life of the tie into which it is driven.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear to those skilled in the art as the description proceeds, and from Vthe drawing forming a part of this disclosure and illustrating by way of example, a single executional embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a spike constructed according to my present preference, Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the spike appearing in Fig. l as seen from the lower, or entering end thereof; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a modilied form of spike; Fig. 4 is an elevation as viewed from the entering end, of the structure of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a transverse section along lines 5-5 of Fig. 1. j

Referring now by reference characters to the drawing, the spike body, indicated generally at 4, may be formed of a section best seen in Fig. 5, as by the usual rolling process. A head 5 of usual form may be created by forging, upsetting or any usual analogous method of manufacture, and the lower end of the spike may be formed by any similar method, to provide a blunt end 6, upwardly or outwardly of which is formed a tapered shoulder 7. Proceeding upwardly from the portion 7 of the structure appearing in Fig.

1, is a substantially cylindrical portion 8, on the opposite sides of which project laterally from the body of the spike, a pair of chisel edges 9 constituting the lower termini of lateral wedge portions 10 which, proceeding upwardly of the spike, become of substantially uniform width above the entering end of the spike and are of this same width up to a point at or near the head 5. rIhe cylindrical portion 8 is, in Fig. 1, further characterized by a plurality, preferably a pair, of longitudinally extending projections or fins 11, disposed in the present example at substantially opposite locations on the entering portion. These fins serve, as a primary means of control, as the spike is being started into the prebored hole, to prevent vany tendency toward spiralling. These fins have their lower termini just above the tapered portion 7, and are carried upwardly substantially the full length of the portion 8. The lower termini of the fins 11 may be provided with chisel edges which serve to control the adjacent fibers somewhat in advance of the effect on the fibers of the edges 9, described above.

' erence, by grooves or channels extending longitudinally of the spike, and disposed at or near its corners. These grooves, as will be seen from Fig. 5, are preferably formed in pairs, with each pair thereof disposed' on opposite faces of the substantially square section. This results in a structure certain of whose faces are rectangularly disposed, with the further modification that one or the rear side of the spike is of exteriorly convex contour, as indicated at 12, the four grooves noted above being indicated by the reference numeral 13. As will be noted, the grooves 13 are of decreasing breadth and depth from the upper limit of the tapered portion toward the entering end of the spike.

Disposed by preference on the rounded portion 12, is a iin or projection 14, provided with atapered, beveled entering portion 15 as best appears in Fig. 1, and extending longitudinally of the spike substantially to the height shown. It will be obvious that the secondary fin, employed as shown, will serve 1naterially to reinforce the spike against bendingstresses. The grooves 13 extend from their lower point of origin either on, or just above, the tapered portion 7, in a longitudinal direction upwardly, substantially to the same height as the fin or projection 14. A space is thus left` between the upper termini of the 1 grooves 13 and the lin 14, and the head of the spike, which space is adapted, according to the present disclosure, as a seat on that p0rtion of the spike, providing at this point a full area of wearing surface where the spike extends through the squared opening in a tie plate in accordance with the preferred practice. The dist-ance, for example, between the upper end of the rib or fin 14, and the head of the spike, corresponds substantially to the thickness of the tie plate and the rail flange. Where the spike is not intended to be employed in connection with a tie plate, this distance may be reduced to correspond substantially with the thickness of the rail flange. t is contemplated that the present spike be employed with a tie'plate apertured to receive a spikeof the section appearing in Fig. 5. If it is desired to use a tie plate having the usual square opening, the opening may be suitably enlarged to pass the secondary lin, or the spikemay be employed without this member.

The effect obtained upon driving the spike in a. prebored hole will be readily visualized by those skilled in the art and familiar with the usual arrangement of fibers in timber of the several varieties employed for cross ties. As the spike is driven into a prebored hole, the blunt end 6, constituting a nose or entering portion, shown in Fig. 1 as being of somewhat larger diameter than the opening into which it is inserted, encounters no material head resistance.. The more shallow portions of the channels 13, lying nearest the entering end of the spike, serve, as the spike is driven, iirst to control andl absorb the longest fibers, lying innermost of the drilled hole. As the spike is driven further, the channels become more heavily loaded, and serve successively to engage the' shorter fibers of wood, and finally become completely filled with liber as the spike is driven deeper, becoming fully loaded as the upper end of the tapered portion is driven into the hole.

Since the spike is, generally speaking, of squared section above its entering portion, and the prebored hole is, of course, circular, the driving of the spike involves displacing by outward compression, four areas of quasitriangular section, one side of each being curved. Tere it not for the provision ofthe channels 13, which serve to receive, absorb and control the fibers in these corner-areas, the degree of outward compression would result in a harmful effect upon the fibers, and 1 probably in some fracture. The chisel points 9, together with the outer edge portions 16 of channels 12, act to direct the fibersoccupyingthequasi-triangular areas, toward and into the longitudinal pockets 13, the edge portions 16 serving to this end as fiber deiecting elements.

As thelarger section of the spike is driven into the hole therefor, the beveled edge 15 on the rib or iin 14 operates partly as a cutting,

and partly as a spreading element to create a groove which is thereafter occupied by the fin and which becomes of increasing depth as the spike is driven home. It will be obvious that this fin 14, thus forming a groove for itself in the undistorted timber adjacent the spike hole, positively prevents any tendency for the spike to spiral as it is being driven. This projection serves as a guiding bar or keel and assures that the spike will not be twisted about its longitudinal axis in driving.

The action of the grooves 13, besides controlling and absorbing the fibers so as to prevent undue rupture thereof as the spike is driven', serves to prevent the spike from leading off from the plane of the hole, dur.- ing driving.

The action of the fiber deilecting edge portions 16 coacting with the immediately adj acent grooves, is gradually to deflect the longest of the precut fibers adjacent the prebored hole, to a position where they occupy the grooves 13. The upward sweep of these edge portions, on the entering part of the spike, tends to gather the fibers, as the spike is driven, and to direct them into the grooved channels instead of permitting them to be forced outwardly beyond the body of the spike to result in a too extensive lateral iber compression, tending to rupture this portion of the timber and create a splitting stress, as is the case with an ordinary square-section spike in a prebored hole.

'Ihe preceding description of parts, as well as the description of application and effect on the fiber, applies similarly to the constructions of Fig. 1 and Fig. 3, except that the reference numerals of the modified showing of Figs. 3 and 4:, insofar as they are analogous to the construction of Figs. 1 and 2, are identiiied by a prime suffix.

Whether the construction of Fig. 3 is to be preferred to that of Fig. 1, will depend somewhat on the characteristics of the wood, such as its fiber density, fiber length, etc. The construction of Fig. 3 is to be preferred in certain varieties of timber.

Figs. 3 and 4: show a modified form of entering portion in which part of the lateral surface of the cylindrical portion 8', is attened as at 17. This permits a slightly earlier and somewhat better engagement of the fibers by the chisel edge portions such as 9', than if the flattened portion were omitted. This arrangement is of particular value where the cylindrical portion 8 is formed, as in Figs. 3 and 4, of a diameter corresponding substantially to the width of a face of the spike Ibody. The flattened portions described serve to prevent displacing too far outwardly, the longest of the precut bers and retains these fibers in position to be picked up and controlled by the corner grooves, and the liber-deflecting edges of these grooves.

The modification of Figs. 3 and 4 is further characterized by a pair of oppositely disposed grooves or channels 18, of a trend longitudinally of the spike, but shown as confined to its cylindrical entering portion 8. In the entering portion of larger diameter as appears in Figs. 3 and Ll, the arrangement of grooves 18 serves a purpose analogous to that of the fins 11 of Fig. 1, to guide the spike as it is being started into the prebored hole, and prevent spiralling.

The present disclosureis directed to a spike structure having, in combination, several improvements, each designed for a particular purpose and to overcome one or more of the objections to prevailing spikes, as noted above. It will, however, be apparent that certain of the features described may be employed alone, and further that certain of the features may be combined in the same structure with an improved result, without necessarily employing oonjointly, all of the features herein described and believed to be novel. It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the specific construction and arrangement of parts shown, since these may be varied within the intendment of the claims, without departing from the spirit and full scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A spike adapted for driving in prebored holes and having a blunt cylindrical entering end, a guiding projection extending along said blunt end, a squared body above the entering end terminating downwardly in a beveled body-terminal, a longitudinally extending fin projecting laterally from the body of the spike and extending substantially from the beveled terminal, outwardly throughout the driven length of the spike.

2. In a spike adapted for driving in a prebored hole, an intermediate body portion of substantially rectangular cross section and having three substantially fiat faces, a fourth face of convexly curved contour, certain of said faces having channels formed therein and extending lengthwise of the section, and said fourth face carrying an intermediate projection extending lengthwise of the body portion of the spike, said body portion terminating downwardly in a beveled body terminal; and a cylindrical pilot or guiding portion extending a 4substantial distance below the beveled terminal and disposed coaxially with the body of the spike, said pilot portion provided with a fiat end-face, having a rounded edge portion at the lower periphery, and a pair of longitudinal projections constituting guiding fins located on diametrally opposed portions of the cylindrical pilot member and adapted to coact therewith to direct the spike axially, and further adapted to prevent rotational displacement of the spike as it is driven into a prebored hole.

3. A spike having a head portion, a body portion, and a blunt pilot portion carrying ufr anti-spiral means, the body portion being substantially polygonal in cross section, the pilot portion being of cylindrical form and tapered near its lower end to adapt it for guiding Contact with the Walls of a prebored hole, the anti-spiral means carried by the pilot portion comprising a longitudinal element, adapted to coact With the tapered oylindrical portion in the prevention of both '5 directional and rotational displacement of the spike with respect to a prebored hole. RAYMOND`E. BEEGLE. 

